ICAO action bars plane lithium batteries

Thursday, February 14, 2013

The International Civil Aviation Organization has passed an interim amendment barring lithium ion aircraft batteries as cargo on passenger planes. These plane batteries are at the heart of an ongoing investigation by the Federal Aviation Administration into problems with the new Boeing 787 Dreamliner. Almost a month ago, the lithium ion battery fueling a 787 in Boston caught fire, and a similar incident occurred on a Japan Airlines flight in Japan. The amendment must now be approved by the full ICAO council, which will meet later this month. ICAO had previously allowed lithium ion batteries weighing up to 35 kilograms as cargo on passenger flights under special circumstances. The inclusion — found in Speci...